1. Technical Field
The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle headlight which is arranged to wrap around from the front to a side of a vehicle. Furthermore, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle headlight which can project a low beam and a high beam in a consistent and efficient fashion and can utilize the light projected from a light source more effectively than in conventional cases.
2. Description of the Related Art
In view of improved distant visibility, it has been desirable for conventional vehicle headlights to use a reflector having high collecting power. This, however, entails greater depth dimensions and lateral width dimensions for the vehicle headlights.
In the meantime, the space at both sides of the vehicle (vehicle compartment space) for use in placing vehicle headlights has recently tended to decrease. Downsizing the vehicle headlights in the depth dimensions and lateral width dimensions in terms of the effective use rate for the vehicle compartment space sometimes dictates that the reflectors in use be smaller. In such cases, the resulting vehicle headlights may have insufficient collecting power and poor distant visibility.
There has been a demand for vehicle headlights to have the capability of distributing light to a side of the vehicle so that the light illumination covers a certain range from a roadway shoulder to a sidewalk and the like. Nevertheless, conventional vehicle headlights have only been capable of providing an insufficient light distribution to sides of vehicles.
Conventional vehicle headlights have also had the problem that when the vehicle headlights are viewed from the front of the vehicle, the corners of the vehicle headlights are not filled with the illumination light, i.e., the corners drop in luminance. Those areas thus appear dark.
In order to improve the side distribution characteristics, there are known vehicle headlights that are arranged to wrap around from the front to a side of a vehicle, such as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-6409. These vehicle headlights have external shapes conforming to the shapes of vehicles, with the sideways light distribution characteristics secured.
The vehicle headlight described above also has a hood unit which blocks light that is projected above a horizontal level. The blocking of such light can prevent the light that is projected upward and in front of the vehicle from creating dazzling light to oncoming drivers, pedestrians, and the like. Put another way, however, this configuration cannot effectively use the light that is projected from the light source that is directed upward in front of the vehicle. The vehicle headlight described in the foregoing Japanese patent application publication also has a distribution pattern switching unit for switching between a low beam distribution pattern and a high beam distribution pattern for light illumination.
Typical vehicle headlights, including those disclosed in the above publication, are designed to provide their maximum output during high beam illumination. When selecting the low beam illumination, such conventional vehicle headlights as described above, can form the low beam distribution pattern by blocking the upward forward illumination light.
Accordingly, the conventional vehicle headlights, make no use of the blocked upward forward illumination light during low beam illumination. That portion of blocked light is designed for the maximum output during the high beam illumination. Equivalently, the conventional vehicle headlights including those disclosed in the above publication can switch between a low beam distribution pattern and a high beam distribution pattern for light illumination, but cannot project a low beam and a high beam in a reasonable or efficient fashion.